Feel free to add comments, or to start your own post to discuss these sections.
Here's a few questions to start regarding the genealogy in the first part of chapter 1:
- Why do you think Matthew started the Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus?
- Why did he choose to start with Abraham?
- What is the significance of the women he included in the genealogy?
4 comments:
One cool thing I got out of reading the study notes in my bible from this section had to do with the inclusion of the four women. Even though I have seen/read this section of Matthew before, I don't think I ever carefully read it -- I just kind of skipped over it thinking it was just a bunch of people. I remembered Abraham and David -- two great men from a biblical perspective, but none of the others. I never even noticed there were women referenced or that this would be odd in a historic genealogy.
My study bible says that "the two women raise both ethnic and ethical questions. At least two of them were not Israelites by birth and all four of them had reputations that could have made them unmentionable in an ancestral tree. Yet this was the line into which God's Son was born. Jesus' genealogy makes it clear, not that there were a few disreputable people in his family, but that all of them were sinners. God sent his Son as Savior of all people -- Jews, Gentiles, men and women. No matter what the sins of the people, God's plan was never thwarted."
The study bible also notes that 46 people are mentioned whose lifetimes span 2,000 years. All were ancestors of Jesus, but they varied considerably in personality, spirituality, and experience. Some were heroes of faith, some had shady reputations, many were very ordinary, and others were evil. God's work in history is not limited by human failures or sins, and he works through ordinary people. Just as God used all kinds of people to bring his Son into the world, he uses all kinds today to accomplish his will.
Joani
Good post! This prompts me to ask two follow-up discussion questions:
Can anyone think of a time when they felt limited due to hereditary factors but had God's grace trump these obstacles to work His will in you?
For parents, have you ever felt like it was all up to you to ensure that your children grow up right? Do you somnetimes feel like your mistakes will scar them forever? Can the concept Joani discusses here help ease that burden any?
It has always been an encouragement to me to realize that God uses the most unexpected people to accomplish HIS mission. He does work through ordinary people, even those that once denied him. As a parent you realize early on that you have to give your children to God. You hope and try to protect your children from making the same mistakes you did.
I kinda took a stab at questions 1 &2. I will have to get to question 3 when Parker is napping :)
During that time, that is how you were identified. Genealogy was very important to the Jews. The genealogy also shows that Christ was who he was suppose to be according to Old Testament scriptures. He was a descendant of David and born of a virgin(Isaiah 7:14). Also it fulfills God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 22:17-18, that through Isaac's offspring..all nations would be blessed.
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